Alternative careers.

It's a totally different thread, but I have thought about where I'd like to live if I had a truly remote job. But I'd have to make a lot more money to afford most of those places.

 

I probably would have worked in construction and been broken down by now. Construction is a young person's game.

 

If I had college to do over, I would have interned in sports information and maybe tried that field instead of newspapers. Or tried to work with the local triple-A affiliate and get into that business.

But you can't do life over. Things worked out pretty well, as is generally the case.

 

I've tried helping my son with his landscaping business a few times; mostly pushing wheelbarrows of rocks, dirt and mulch. It takes me days to recover.

 

Over the years ... especially when I was a reporter, covering city and county governments ... I always thought I would make a good city planner. The nuts and bolts of zoning, public utilities, etc. never bored me as they do 95 percent of journalists, and I appreciate that those types of careers and decisions do influence society. Hopefully in a good way.

But that's water under the bridge now, and I've reached the stage in my life where, whether it's journalism or whatever job comes next, I will look to make my contributions to a better world outside of the 40 hours a week I spend paying my bills.

 

My new career now is writing cranky letters to the editor, about local construction projects the NIMBYs have been trying to stop. Even had several published!

 

I’ve thought about going back to school for planning, too. I was always fascinated by the necessary storm water runoff areas and the placement of curb cuts for parking lots.

 

Tell that to my last stop. If two kids spilled their beers at the night hangout there, the NWS had to issue a Flood Warning. Worst storm runoff situation imaginable.

 

Hardest "C" I ever got in college. So I went into sports...

 

I went the professional route because my dad was an electrician for 40 years, lunch box and coffee canister every day, came home dirty with his knee pads on and while I respected (and continue to this day) the hard work I knew no way I'm surviving that. Studied engineering in college because math and science problem solving came easy to me but decided to go to law school because wanted to max out education so no one could say they wanted me to have more education to get a promotion.

I guess an engineering career would have been okay, steady (as my parents pushed) and respectable. I was a horrible lab guy though, didn't interest me.

My sister's boyfriend at the time did the managerial training program at Mervyn's and that seemed like a way to get good skills but they were long hours and low pay (he went on to Macy's but smartly ended up in public HR).

I've actually never said I wish I did something else.

 

One of my grandfathers and my dad both spent 50-plus years in the car business. Sometimes I regret not following them into it (because by now I’d be the GM of the dealership).

My other grandpa was a carpenter. He taught me how to fix things and use all the tools. When I was laid off from my marketing gig (thanks Covid!), I’ve often thought I should have gone into the trades.

My stepfather-in-law was a very successful duck hunting guide. I helped him a few times and he said I had what it took to make a go of it. It’s not about being the best duck caller or shot, but about being a people person and making sure they are having fun even if it’s not the best day. It’s long hours and early mornings, but if I had it to do over again I think guiding for trout and teaching fly casting would be OK.

 

I wouldn't trade newspapers because of the great experiences (I get to tell my friends about being on the field after Game 7 of a World Series) and because I probably would have never gotten my current job without having that experience.

That said, when I was a kid, I really wanted to be a chef. Somehow abandoned that at some point, but I was obsessed with cooking from about 8th til 11th grade.